Dialogue
by mayflyDecember
Summary: A series of snapshots into the life of partners. Sasori and OC. Not lovecentric, but some chapters may lead that way. Rated T for some possible mature themes.
1. Introduction

AN at the bottom.

* * *

Sasori didn't know what to expect when he was given a new partner. He had been with Deidara long enough that he was used to the brat by now, and suddenly he was expected to bend over and take a new one just like that. How irritating.

Their Fearless Leader had called them to one of their many bases, appearing to them as he always did. He saw no point in beating around the bush. His words were blunt and precise as he told the two artists that they would henceforth be split; Deidara would now be paired with this "Tobi" creature, a bouncy, peppy little thing that Sasori was silently thankful he didn't have to deal with. He was introduced to his own new partner, Hiroku making it easy for her to look her over.

She was tall. Taller than he was, anyway, even without the large puppet holding him down. Not quite as tall as Kisame, though. Nearly as many piercings on her face as the Leader had on his, the one time that the puppet master had seen him in person. Hair near as white as Hidan's. Thin, he could see, as she wasn't wearing one of their cloaks. And, as he would quickly learn, she typically wouldn't wear them. He was told that she was strong, though. That would have to be seen.

The look she- Nakamura Akemi, Leader introduced her as- gave him reminded him of a certain blond. Cocksure and almost a little condescending. He internally rolled his eyes. Maybe he could beat those feelings out of her better than he did Deidara. He didn't have the patience to deal with another partner who got too sure of themselves and lost control of things.

At the very least, she spoke less than his former partner. Thank whatever Gods were left for that. Maybe with that fact alone, he could stand the next however long until he was assigned a new partner or she died, whichever came first.

Maybe.

* * *

A few notes before I leave you...

I haven't caught up with Naruto and I haven't read it in a while. I'm still working on that, but it is important to note, I think.

This story does not have an official plot. It will jump around quite frequently during the time that Sasori and Akemi were partners. It spans over several years. This chapter is the first day they met, the next is a year and a half into the future, the next is a little before that. It skips.

This story is not love-centric. There are quite a few parts dealing with the romantic nature of their relationship, but it's not the focus. It's more just developing their characters and their relationship.

This story will update as frequently as I want it to. I'm a college student and a theatre major. I'm already taking on a full load of courses, and that doesn't count all the time I have to spend in shop, or production meetings, or rehearsals. I'm busy and I like writing as a way to destress, but I won't have a lot of time to once we really get into the semester.

But if you're okay with all of those things, I welcome you to follow this. Or don't. I'm doing this mostly for myself anyway.

-Jack


	2. Love

Sasori was never in love. He had never been love. He liked to say he had never known love, even though he knew, deep down, that that was a lie. There had always been his parents, but that was a different story for a different day.

Even so, when Akemi said it to him, he didn't know how to respond. The redhead stared at her, wooden eyes unblinking, at a loss for words. She didn't seem to mind, though. In fact, she barely even acted like she had said them herself, despite the weight that three small words can carry.

As it turned out, the light-haired kunoichi was rather lax with the words. She seemed to love "love". She loved the tea they got at one of the local shops. She loved the feel of the sun in Amegakure after a long period of rain. She loved her former teammates. Hell, there seemed to be few things she didn't love. Maybe that was all Akemi had meant when she had said it to him. Just another term of endearment that seemed so free-flowing from her lips.

But they both knew better than that.

Seventeen months they had known each other. Seventeen long, godawful months. A year and a half of near death experiences, infiltration, mind games, flirting (on her part, at least), and more close encounters with each other than Sasori had had in his life. Even so, the puppeteer didn't find himself minding. He wouldn't go so far as to say that he enjoyed her company- after all, there were far too few things that he actually enjoyed- but he found her... tolerable. Yes. Tolerable. Which was a far cry from his previous two partners.

He found that he was rather hoping she wouldn't die. A futile hope, of course. Death was, ironically, a part of life in this organization. And yet he found more and more excuses to go out of his way to make sure she didn't die. Leader would be angry. She was of more use on this mission than was expected. She had broken one of his puppets and he wanted to be the one to kill her himself.

They both knew the real reason. But thankfully, both had the grace to never say it aloud. They simply went about their lives, never quite acknowledging when or if their relationship had changed, but flowing simply into something new.

* * *

This won't be lovecentric, they say. It might not even get lovey at all, they say.  
All in all, your lesson here is to never trust authors.

-Jack


	3. Light

Bright. Too bright. Akemi hadn't expected the explosion to be so close. She had thought- no, she had known that the enemy were farther away. That was how she had planned it. And her plans never went awry.

Well. Until now, anyway.

Flash bombs were a pain in the ass.

The teen was thrown into a tree, coughing as her head spun. Was she falling? Or was she flying? Her balance was off and nothing was right. Or, rather, everything was right. Spinning, spinning, round and round. Where will she stop, nobody knows. Wait, that didn't rhyme. What was happening?

Right. Fighting. Gotta get up. Move, Nakamura, move. Gotta move. Can't die. Not yet.

"Brat."

Oh, right. He was there. Of course. The heroes always show up at the last minute to save the day. She gives him a slight smile, grabbing his shoulder to pull herself up. "I didn't think you would come," she admitted, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.

The puppet's eyes rolled. "Can't let my partner die," he said plainly. Tch. Never anything more than that, of course. Akemi had thought that at least they could be "friends" by this point, but no. Hardass.

(She would later learn that most people didn't even get to this point. Lucky her.)

The enemy ninja were taken care of quickly with the help of Sasori. Soon enough, the pair were on their way back to the base. Their mission had already taken too long and they had to get back quickly, otherwise they would have stopped to rest. Akemi was still half leaning on Hiroku, her body having taken most of the damage from the fight. It wasn't until the light faded from the evening sun that Sasori conceded and allowed her to crawl onto his back.

Her last thought before falling asleep was that this was the first act of real kindness that Sasori had shown Akemi.


	4. Dark

It had gotten so dark. Too dark. Darker than a moonless night, darker than the caves their bases were housed in, darker than falling unconscious. Dark enough to unnerve Sasori. This wasn't a natural dark. It was at the very least a genjutsu, if not something worse.

He had no idea where his partner was, which did nothing to help his nerves. Internally, he counted. The last time he had seen her was... almost four hours ago. Their mission had been going smoothly (after five months of successful infiltration, it would have been hard for it to go any other way). The two were supposed to meet up again twenty minutes ago. He had gone to their meeting place to wait for her, but Akemi was nowhere to be seen.

It was already known that Sasori was not a patient man. But, if truth be told- and he would deny it to his death- this was not a feeling of impatience. This was a feeling of concern. Something had obviously gone wrong. The pierced girl should be there by now, but she wasn't.

And it was still too damn dark.

Which is why the redhead was partially blinded when a sudden light burst in front of him. Through squinted eyes, he could barely see her form- outlined in the light, she looked like an angel. Her hair had fallen out of it's usual hold and was loose around her shoulders, blue eyes deep and full, finding his form instantly. Even with blood over her cheek and metal filling her face, she looked a heavenly figure. Sasori would almost go so far as to call her beautiful.

The light faded almost as soon as it erupted. "Danna," the woman hissed. "We have to go. Right now." Akemi barely waited for him to register what she said before sprinting off, leaving him in the dark once again.


	5. Rot

Sasori should've seen it coming, really. After all, they did basically live in a system of caves. It was inevitable, no matter how many seals or guards he put against it, that the damp would seep into his quarters and into his puppets. It hadn't gotten to his favorites- not yet, anyway- but still, having to mend the few that were now rotting was a pain in his ass.

"What are you doing?"

He almost jumped. He hadn't heard the door open, nor the footsteps of his partner. "I thought you had gone out," he said coolly, addressing Akemi.

The white-haired teen shrugged. "I came back," was her simple answer. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Some of my puppets have begun to rot," he explains, turning back to the wooden figures. "I have to fix them. And then I'll have to check over the others to make sure the same hasn't happened to them, recheck their sealings..." The redhead wasn't sure why he was explaining all this to her. At the very least, she did seem genuinely interested, not just humoring him.

"How do you do that?" Much to his dismay, Sasori saw that she was sitting on the edge of his bed. (He still wasn't sure why he had a bed. He didn't sleep. Just a formality, he supposed.) She was leaning towards his work desk, chin in one pale hand.

The redhead stares her down, trying to determine whether she was serious or not, before breathing out a sigh through his nose. "I have to take apart the rotted parts," he begins to explain, surprised at his own patience. Akemi followed along the whole time, nodding and asking questions, even asking if she could try to carve a new piece. She received a flat no, of course. But she had offered, which is more than Sasori could say of anyone else.

The next day, she had come by to watch him again. She didn't speak this time, quietly satisfied to watch him work. Wooden fingers moved deftly over each piece, seeking out each imperfection to chip it away or fill it in. He was- dare he say it- comfortable in the silence. It was almost as if she wasn't there.

That is, however, until she moved forward to capture his hand in her own.

Immediately, Sasori jerks his hand away, but her hold on him is fast and surprisingly strong. Dark blue eyes examine the wooden joints, fingers moving and pressing his fingers this way and that. "How can you feel it?" she asks softly. "Your work, I mean. Your hands are wooden. No nerve endings there. So how can you feel it?" Blue meet hazel and, for a moment, Sasori is tempted to tell her to simply mind her own business.

It's only a moment, though.

"I can push chakra through my limbs," he explains, watching her hands move about his own. "When I need to. It's useful at times like this. But during battle, I don't have to, so I don't feel any pain."

Akemi nods slowly, examining his hand for a few moments longer, before dropping it again. She lets him resume his work, watching for only a few minutes more before suddenly standing and leaving. Sasori finds himself almost disappointed in her absence.

Almost.

* * *

By the by, if there is any particular theme y'all would like to see, drop a word (or a few) in a review. I'll get around to them eventually.

-Jack


	6. Break

Sasori did not panic.

He was a man known for being cool and calm, even in the face of death. He did not care about anything, simply put. As such, he saw no reason to panic about anything, as nothing mattered enough to him.

So when he bolted through the trees, eyes wide, heart racing, he found himself almost more concerned that he WAS panicking rather than what he was panicking over.

He couldn't find Akemi.

They had been ambushed. Somehow, the leaders of the village had found out their plan- how they did, he never would find out- and they had laid a trap for the two criminals. Like amateurs, they had fallen for it. The two had gotten separated, which Sasori had not worried about. They were both more than capable of handling themselves, or at least he thought they were. Even with an entire village after the two of them, he refused to worry.

Which made it all the more stressful when he couldn't find her.

He had finally managed to shake his tails and was now looking for the kunoichi. He couldn't leave without her. Leader would be furious. He tried to convince himself that was the reason as he moved from tree to tree, a little unsteady in the strange environment. It wasn't until he felt her chakra that he even realized how much trouble they were really in.

It was weak. Almost too weak for him to even be sure Akemi was alive. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he bounded towards her, stopping only once he was by her side. Blue eyes weakly opened to look up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but only managed to cough. He was no healer, but he did know a bit of basic medical jutsu- his grandmother had made sure of that.

"Danna..." Shit, she sounded awful. It was easy to tell, just by looking, how much pain she was in. Several bones were broken. He wasn't sure how many exactly, but he knew that arms weren't supposed to look like that and her chest shouldn't be that shallow. Gently, without speaking, he moved to slide his arms under her neck and knees. She cried out almost as soon as he touched her, eyes squeezing shut. "Wait, wait, please," Akemi said weakly, trying to catch her breath. The puppeteer stilled, mind racing. He wouldn't be able to carry her without bringing more harm to her. They couldn't be found, either. He had two choices: try to do something to fend off the enemy, or bring her away, consequences be damned.

It was an easy choice to make. Sasori quickly cast a genjutsu over the area, encasing them in a mirage. Any ninja who came near would be suddenly distracted by a noise elsewhere. It wouldn't last very long, but it would be enough. "Don't worry," he mumbled, half to himself. "You'll be fine."

"Don't leave," she says weakly. One hand had moved to clutch at the leg of his pants. "Please."

"I won't," he says in return, one hand moving automatically to hers. It only rests there for a second before he dives back into his bag, searching for splints, bandages, and healing salve. There was work to be done.


	7. Heaven

They knew they were designated for Hell. Everyone in the Akatsuki was; it came with the murdering and stealing and kidnapping and everything else they did. Some crimes were more forgivable than others, but that didn't change a thing. The lot of them were going to end up where no one wanted to go, and yet none of them seemed to mind. Whether they had simply resigned to the fact or were looking forward to it was up to question.

But Akemi was different. Or she could have been, maybe. Sasori saw that in her. She put up a tough act, but there were things that he noticed- that maybe only he noticed- that told him otherwise. On every mission, no matter where they were or what they were doing, Akemi always found money or food to give to those suffering. Most people would barely give them a second glance, but she saw them differently. She would befriend them. She knew them by name. Akemi never expected anything in return, but she did it anyway.

The few times they were in Amegakure, Sasori was almost surprised to see her swarmed with urchins, street rats, all clamoring for her attention. Akemi greeted them with smiles and hugs, carrying them with her, telling them stories. Sometimes it was the missions they went on (always leaving out incriminating details, of course), sometimes fairy tales, sometimes things from the top of her head. She made sure they were fed and housed, even if it was an old abandoned building. Enough to protect them from the elements. She never did more- after all, what could she do? One person can't change the world, no matter how much they think they can. But she always did enough.

And there were times, when they were on missions, that he would find himself watching her. She could be talking with some leader, or eating, or simply staring at the sky. But those were his favorite times. The times when a look of complete peace fell over her and he thought, just maybe, that she could be his heaven.

* * *

That ended much sappier than intended. Apologies.

-Jack


	8. Away

Akemi hated solo missions.

Call it fear of abandonment, call it simple loneliness, call it what you will. She hated being by herself, with no one she knew or could trust. It didn't matter how many times she did it or how it was what she was "supposed" to do. True, she had been trained specifically for this; her kekkei genkai was especially useful in covert operations when the organization couldn't risk a big stunt in order to take out a target. But that didn't make being alone any easier.

She did appreciate the time away from everyone else. The first few days of each solo round were bliss; she could think, she could breathe, without everyone else around her, a rarity in and of itself. But eventually she would turn to ask Sasori something, or tell Deidara a joke, and loneliness would pang in her stomach. It would be easy to find things to occupy her time, but in those few moments when she laid down to sleep- those moments of semi-wakefulness, suspended in limbo between awake and asleep- she ached for some company. It wasn't like she could even make friends, no matter how long her mission would last. The end goal of each one was to betray the people she was trying to get close to. Even if they never found out that it was her, she felt enough guilt to keep her from making true friends.

Akemi would never admit it, but she always breathed easier once she was at the base. She wouldn't call it "home", but it was the closest thing she had.


	9. Cut

The first time Akemi managed to land a real hit on Sasori- one that actually damaged him- it was a surprise to them both.

The two tended to specialize during fighting, as ninja often did. Sasori had his puppets and Akemi had her kekkei genkai. During their next mission, however, they couldn't use those as much. They had to focus most of their efforts on blending in and appearing to be just like any of the other ninja in the village. So they were ordered to train, to spar specifically to work on the rest of their skills.

Neither was especially looking forward to it. But, without a choice, the two found a spot relatively nearby where they could practice. Wooded, but not too dense, much like the area the partners were due to be at in two weeks time. Without much build up, the two began. Sasori had the obvious advantage. Not only was he twice her age and, therefore, had much more experience, but his body wouldn't tire. Run out of chakra, maybe, but even if that happened, he would still be able to beat her with strength alone. In the end, that's exactly what happened. Sasori was out of her sight and Akemi was laying on the ground, panting for breath, almost trembling with the effort. The match was over. He wouldn't kill her, counter productivity was against his nature. Instead, he hopped to where she was and held out a hand to help her, barely even noticing the hint of a smirk on her face.

Ah, hell.

The two nin were knocked back with the force of a particularly powerful paper bomb. The only thing that stopped their flight were two trees, conveniently in their paths. Sasori carefully clicked his head back into place, assessing the damage he had taken. Several gashes and cuts, at least one broken limb, but nothing that would deter him for long. He noted, with only a hint of pride, that her move had been perfect. Had he been anyone normal, the blow would have done much more damage. The hit to the tree alone was enough to give someone whiplash, or worse.

At that thought, Sasori looked over to his partner. Akemi laid against the tree, slumped over, a small amount of blood dripping from her mouth and the back of her head. She had suffered some burns from the explosion, but didn't appear too damaged. The smile was still on her face, and Sasori couldn't bring himself to disagree with it. She had won the battle, after all. Akemi had taken a risk by letting off a bomb so close to herself, but if he had been an enemy, it had been the right choice.

Maybe she wasn't a terrible partner after all.


	10. Breathe

"You can't breathe?" she asked in surprise. As per usual, during their long journeys to and from missions, Akemi had decided to pass the time by asking questions. At least they were things that Sasori was actually interested in, which is why he hadn't stopped her yet. The puppet master had long since discarded Hiroku; the two were supposed to look average, and there was no way he could pass as normal with that hulking thing protecting him. The height difference didn't bother him, not really, but it was still an interesting to still have to look up at her, even without the puppet.

"I have no lungs," he says simply. "I don't have any way to breathe, even if I needed to."

"Then how does your heart work?"

The redhead sighs, resisting the urge to rub his temples. His head didn't (wouldn't) ache, but habits die hard. "It's complicated. You likely wouldn't understand how it works."

Akemi gives him a confident grin. "Try me," she says coyly, nudging his shoulder. He stares at her for a moment longer, weighing whether or not it was worth telling her, before rolling his eyes and starting to speak. Her influence was rubbing off on him, he noticed, explaining the process. He found he didn't mind speaking to her.

* * *

Alternate

* * *

In, out. In, out. The machine steadily ensured her breathing kept a regular rhythm. Sasori sat by her bedside, reading a book.

Everything had gone so wrong. The redhead knew better than to blame himself; only silly teenage boys in love did that. He knew it was partly his own fault. He hadn't been paying attention when he should have and let her get caught. The damage she had suffered was enough to put anyone out of commission, himself included. But he couldn't take all the blame. He knew better than that.

Akemi had been out for almost two weeks now. Sasori kept vigil by her side, claiming a sense of duty than anything emotional. It was partly his fault, the others had their own duties to attend to, so it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to keep an eye on her. Even if it was a boring task, Sasori felt himself anxious at the thought of leaving her to wake alone.

"She dies in the end."

Hazel eyes snapped up when he heard her speak. Blue eyes were dulled, but seemed to have a little spark, somewhere in their depths. A smile played on her lips behind the air mask. "What?" he asks.

"The main girl," she says weakly. "She dies in the end. The guy does somethin' stupid and she ends up dying instead of him." Akemi has to catch her breath by the time she's finished speaking, but she seems in good humor.

"Why would you tell me that?" Sasori asks, finding himself smiling as well. The feeling was foreign, but not unwelcome.

Akemi shrugs. "You're too impatient to finish a book," she says knowingly. "You were gonna skip ahead to the end anyway."

Honeyed eyes roll as he closes the book, leaning over to playfully (and gently) push her shoulder. "Go back to sleep. You need it, brat."

"Okay, Danna," she mumbles, letting her eyes close again. Almost immediately, she's out, but still smiling.

Sasori found that, when questioned, he couldn't deny his relief.


	11. Memory

"Tell me something I don't know about you," Sasori said quietly, watching Akemi with lidded eyes. The white haired woman smiled, humming to herself. Her fingers were idly trailing along his hand and arm as they lay together; posing as a couple was nothing new to the pair, but only recently had she managed to get him to lay with her, even for a little while.

"Why should I?" she asks coyly, blue meeting hazel.

The redhead rolled his eyes, capturing her hand in his and twining their fingers together. "You know basically everything about me," he answers finally. "You've certainly badgered all that information out. But I don't know much about you. So tell me." He brings her hand to his lips, kissing pale skin as he looks up at her. "Please?"

Akemi stares at him for a few moments longer before nodding, laying back, letting her eyes close. She humms in thought, free hand running through her hair. "Where do you want me to start?" she asks, looking at him again.

"The beginning. All good stories start at the beginning."

The younger pursed her lips slightly, thinking back. "Okay. Well..." She fiddles with one lip piercing as she thinks, only releasing it to speak again. "My mother was a ninja, but my father was not. He was a librarian, of all things," she says with a quiet laugh. "They met while she was on mission. She convinced him to come with her to Amegakure, they got married, had me, all that sappy stuff." She's quiet for a while. "They died when I was ten," she says, rather coolly. "Someone wanted our specialty. Figured if they couldn't get Mom, they could get me. Dad managed to get rid of them but died in the process."

There's another moment of silence before she shrugs. "It's not that uncommon, really. Especially not in Ame. I didn't have anyone to look after me, but I had enough money that I could continue in school. So I did and got my team. God, I miss them," she says with a wry smile. "Tatski Sorano and Fujioka Akihiko. Some of my best friends... They died too."

Akemi gives a little sigh, turning her head to smile at him. "After all. What sort of good ninja would I be without a tragic backstory?" she says playfully. Sasori doesn't speak, simply squeezes her hand.

"Nii-sama took me in then," she continues. "I don't really know why. But I'm forever indebted to him for it. That's why I'm here, really." She rolls onto her side, facing him. "That's about everything, I guess," she says easily. "Nothing really interesting."

"Everything about you is interesting," he corrects softly. She rolls her eyes, shouldering him playfully.

"Sappy ass."

"Don't pretend you don't love it."

"Never said I didn't." Akemi smiles and leans over to seal her lips gently over his.


	12. Confusion

Sasori didn't know what to think the first time he saw her like that. When the mission was near it's end and she had to don her mask. He did suppose it was necessary- that way, no one actually knew who it was when they finished. She had to keep her regular face unknown so other missions could go off without a hitch. Or at least so they had a chance to.

But as soon as the metal was over her face, her whole demeanor changed. He could almost call her cold, aloof, calculated. It was almost disturbing to witness the ease at which Akemi slipped into the role. He wondered how long, how often she had to do this at the orders of Leader. Sasori ignored the feeling of guilt that swept over him at the thought. They had work to do.

Two hours later, the job was done. With the aide of a few others, the target had been taken out, objective secured, and the two missing-nin were on their way back to base.

Akemi still hadn't taken off the mask.

Sasori watched her quietly. "Akemi," he spoke, his voice seemingly loud in the otherwise still night. She never broke her stride. "Akemi, stop." She didn't. It wasn't until Sasori forcibly took her arm and pulled her closer that she stilled. The two partners stared at each other for a long moment before the redhead reached up and pulled off her mask.

They didn't speak. Nothing needed to be said. They simply stood there, Akemi's head on Sasori's shoulder, waiting until the confusion and hurt and emotions had passed before resuming their silent walk through the night.


	13. Smile

The first time Akemi saw Sasori smile, she was almost convinced that it was real. Almost. His voice was so genuine, and he even managed to smile with his eyes.

But she knew better.

It wasn't until that night that she got to talk to him about it. "How come you never smile?" she asks, toweling off her hair. The day had been long and a shower had been more important than figuring out her enigmatic partner. "Like. Really smile. Aren't you ever happy?"

He gives her a blank look before shrugging, resuming whatever it was he had been doing. Polishing his weapons, it seemed. "I have no reason to be," he says with the kind of blunt honesty that always came to him.

"What?" the Rain nin asked in disbelief. She took a chair opposite of him, eyes fixed on his form. "You don't get happy for anything? Not seeing a really sunny day? Or someone you've missed? Hell, don't you smile after sex?"

He fixes her with a look of contempt. "I don't have sex."

Her jaw drops. "What?" she repeats. "But sex is one of the best things in the world! Unless you're asexual, I mean, more power to you then, but-"

"I fail to understand what your point is behind this line of questioning," Sasori says, getting her back on track.

Akemi frowns again. "Well, I guess there isn't really a point," she concedes. "I'm just trying to figure you out." She holds his gaze for a moment longer before shrugging. "Though you should know that it's now my goal to get you to genuinely smile."

The redhead frowns, returning to his weaponry. His fingers itched to work on his puppets, feeling their familiar wooden frames, but he wasn't allowed to bring them out yet. Not unless necessary. Curse that damn Leader.

Despite his resignation, Akemi does eventually pull a smile from him. It isn't from anything that either of them expect, and it takes almost two years, but they both found it easy to decide that it was worth it.


	14. Silence

Silence was not an uncommon occurrence between these particular partners. Sasori never minded, but Akemi loathed the quiet. It crawled into her, creeping under her skin and making her itch. She found herself darting towards any subject that came to mind, anything from small talk about the weather to philosophical debates. These "debates" would often leave the two of them in a deeper silence than before, each silently fuming at the other. Eventually, the silence would become too much again and they would apologize- well, Akemi would apologize, and Sasori would accept her apology- and the whole thing would start over again.

But there were certain times when the woman found herself not minding the silence. The times when he would study her as she babbled on about what their plans for the day would be, mission related or otherwise. He never ogled, simply... studied. Akemi would catch his gaze and the words would die in her throat, blue eyes focused on his form as honey-colored moved over her own. Their stares would meet and be held for a moment longer, maybe two, before Sasori turned and asked her to continue her speech.

The times when she managed to get herself hurt enough to be bedridden for any amount of time. He would take a day or two to fix himself, then resume his place at her side. More often than she'd like to admit, she would feign sleep, wondering when he would leave. But he never did. He never touched her, either. Whether it was out of fear of hurting her further, or respect, or maybe he just didn't want to, she wasn't sure. He never spoke, but he seemed to mind less when she prattled on about whatever was on her mind. And when she ran out of things to talk about, he still stayed, making sure she rested easy.

The few moments of stillness after their lips parted from each other. No matter how long, how often they kissed, Akemi would never get used to it. It was easy to not focus on how focused and precise his lips moved, just like everything else about him, and get lost in the feeling. Sasori soon found that it was an easy way to get her to stop talking, which he used to his advantage, much to her dismay. She never found herself really minding, though.

But this silence. This was deafening.

The old woman and the pink one had gone. Zetsu had yet to come. Akemi simply sat with his head in her lap, stroking a hand through his hair. She knew he wouldn't feel it. Even if he had been alive, he had no nerves. But the repetitive motion helped to soothe the raging nerves inside her, threatening to let themselves loose.

There would be no revenge. Revenge was for petty boys with nothing better to do. Her grief was short lived. A member of the organization dying was nothing new, and it didn't change their plans enough to make everything grind to a halt.

Life went on. And so did Akemi.


	15. Spit

**Content warning: Depictions of violence. Nothing graphic, but it's there.**

**I won't be upping the rating but consider this your warning.**

* * *

Akemi had known this would happen once she joined the Akatsuki. Getting captured by the enemy was a hazard of the job for any ninja, much less an S-ranked criminal like her.

What she hadn't expected was that simple, unassuming Konoha would be some of the worst torture she had undergone.

Forty hours. They had been going at it for forty hours straight. Possibly longer, the woman wasn't sure. Forty agonizing hours of broken bones and spilt blood and other ungodly things that Akemi did not want to think about. To her credit, she had only passed out for a few moments, and even then it was only once. Leader would be proud.

The man with the bandana- he had introduced himself, but Akemi couldn't remember his name- stepped in once again. He had left a while ago and another had taken his place, but apparently they weren't done. Her hands ached. Despite all her injuries, those were the ones she couldn't help but focus on. They had broken her fingers. One by one, of course. No other way to do it. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't get out now. No way to do her technique. She was stuck unless until the rest of the organization arrived to save her.

Her mind was hazy. He spoke, but she didn't hear. Apparently he wasn't pleased with that. He grabbed her by her hair and yanked her up, making her cry out. The man asked the question again, dark eyes unreadable. Akemi paused for a moment, staring him down.

She works up a gob of bloody spit and sends it into his face.

He knocks her back down, drawing back to kick her in the already broken ribs. She yelps weakly, curling in in an attempt to cover and protect her chest. Her blood was pounding in her ears and she could hear the thud as each of his kicks connected with her. All she can focus on is the rush of blood in her head as she starts to numb; a relief when it comes. Akemi can still feel his heavy boots, but she can't feel the pain. She's thankful for it. She only vaguely hears a door open, hears him leave, hears it shut again. The stone floor is cool against her skin and she relaxes against it far more than she'd like to admit. An explosion knocks her back against a wall, and the blow to her head is enough to send her unconscious again.

It's a day or so before she wakes up again. Akemi recognizes the room; one of the hospital rooms in Ame that she frequented. She can't turn her head well, but she can see a shock of red hair that she recognizes as her partner. His head snaps up as soon as she tries to speak. He's silent for a while before finally speaking.

"You look like shit."

She can't help but laugh, even though it makes her chest ache. "Still look better'n you," she says weakly, giving him a half smile. The corner of Sasori's lips curve upwards- the equivalent of laughing out loud in puppet-language. He quietly explains what happened, how he personally went after her.

"Couldn't let you die," he said. "You're too useful." The look he fixes her with is level, but she knows what he means.

It's days until she's released. Even after that, it's days before she's well enough to go on another mission.

It's three days into her next mission that she finally has her breakdown over what happened.

* * *

I'm back in school now so updates will be sporadic. Whoops.

Reviews and favorites are always appreciated.

-Jack


	16. Blood

The first few days had been... rough, to say the least. Figuring out how to work with someone new was tough, especially for people as hardheaded as Sasori and Akemi were. The puppeteer had been surprised when he found out what their mission was; he generally wasn't used for stealth and covert operations. He assumed that his job was more or less to be a bodyguard for Akemi, so she could do her work without fear.

"And what exactly _is_ your work?" he asks after their briefing, still crouched in his puppet. The white haired teen sighed, motioning for him to follow her. Sasori raises an eyebrow, but nonetheless does as instructed, letting her lead them to a rather open area. She looks around for a moment, then looks back to him.

"Get up to that spot," Akemi says, pointing it out to him. Sasori looks. Up in the next building there was an area where construction had never quite finished, leaving it open to the elements. An easy task for any ninja. With a derisive snort, he makes the easy leap to the spot, noticing the simple hand motion that his new partner makes.

He misses.

With an internalized cuss, he pushes off a steel beam and takes his rightful place where she had pointed out, glaring down at her. It wasn't like him to make mistakes, especially on something as easy as that. He had gotten lazy in his arrogance. It wouldn't happen again.

Akemi, on the other hand, has a hint of a smirk on her face. "You okay there?"

"Shut up and show me your damn technique," he growls in return, eyes narrowed. The teen practically giggles, pointing out another spot for him to get to. He'd have to make a couple bounds, but it would be easy. Unless his foot slipped, which it did, though he managed to save himself at the last second and pounce to the other spot. Akemi isn't even trying to hide her smirk at this point.

"You sure you're okay?" she asks, still holding her hands in that position. Middle over ring, with each finger touching it's mate. "You're looking a little distressed."

As if on cue, Sasori feels something in his chest ache. A squeezing motion, as if he was having a heart attack. His false breath was coming shallower, or was that his imagination? The world was spinning and he had to concentrate to keep his vision on her.

Just what was it that she was doing?

Akemi lets her hands drop and the feeling leaves, as if it had never been there in the first place. "That," she explains, "is my kekkei genkai. A powerful combination of nin- and genjutsu that can let me implant thoughts into your head. I can make you miss your footing-" so that explains his stumbles- "or make your brain think your heart is failing." She seems proud. "I can even put doubt into you. Is your leader really as good as you think he is? What if he's wrong about this? What if he's wrong about everything? He's got too much power, hasn't he? What if we got rid of him?"

The silence that follows that is almost deafening. He knew she wasn't speaking specifically about their Leader, but it was still an interesting thought.

"Maybe you aren't useless after all," he says, moving back down to where she was. She snorts, rolling her eyes and placing her hands into her pockets.

"I look forward to working with you."

* * *

Thoughts on her bloodline? (it's a stretch for this theme i know but my only other ideas were period-related and i'm sure no one wants to read about that.) I'd appreciate feedback.

Reviews and the like are always appreciated.

-Jack


	17. Under

**Content warning: Mentions of sex and nudity.**

* * *

The first time Sasori saw what Akemi had under her clothes, it came as a surprise to him. Not to her, it seemed. Unlike most kunoichi he had met- or hell, even some shinobi he had worked with- she seemed rather comfortable with her body.

That, or she was _really_ desperate to get him.

Nevertheless, there were a few times where, after a shower, she had forgotten her clothes in another room and had come out... well, without them. Sasori got quite an eyeful; not that he was ogling, but that pale expanse of skin was rather hard to miss. She had scars. Of course she did, all ninja had at least a few. Maybe she had a few more than usual, and none more noticeable than the one running from her right eyebrow through her eye. He often wondered how she had gotten it, but never thought it was his place to ask.

More interesting than that, he was intrigued by the tattoo running from under her left breast, across her side, and down her thigh. An intricate pattern of thick black lines and swirls, intermingling with each other in a mesmerizing pattern. He often found himself tracing the lines as she dressed, fascinated with the way they seemed to dance across her skin.

"Enjoying the view?" Akemi asks with half a smirk, tugging on her bra and grabbing her towel again. Honeyed eyes snap up to meet hers again and he returns the twitch of his lips.

"To be honest, yes," he says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your tattoo is beautiful. Any reason for it?"

Almost as if she was noticing it for the first time, the woman looks down at herself. "Oh. Not really, no," she says with a shrug. "I thought it looked nice. So I got it. I don't really get to show it off much, but I know it's there, and that's really all that matters." She gives him a half smile, tugging a shirt over her head. "And I guess you know about it, and that can't be bad." Akemi goes so far as to wink at him before returning to her room, leaving Sasori to wonder just what else she had hiding.

* * *

The second time Sasori saw what Akemi had under her clothes, he didn't think either of them had expected it. The two had been stationed at one of the many safehouses the Akatsuki used between missions. Sasori had seen a couple of the other members there, but he paid them no mind. There had been some considerable damage to his puppets during the last mission and he had to fix them before it was worsened.

Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as he had first thought. They were fixed within a couple hours and he had time to think on other things. There was something that had happened while they were out, something that had piqued Sasori's interest, but he hadn't had a chance to ask Akemi about it yet. With this new goal in mind, he set out for her room, knocking on her door.

There was no answer.

Frowning, he knocked again. Again, no outright answer, but he did hear some noise from inside. Now he was getting impatient. He wasn't used to being ignored by the girl. In fact, he was more used to her being overly annoying. Irritated, Sasori, opened the door, but his words died on his lips.

He definitely hadn't expected to see Akemi and Deidara together. Not like that, anyway. Intertwined and breathing each other in and... Quietly, he shut the door again, praying to whatever gods that they hadn't heard him. He would talk to her later. Sasori didn't want to ruin that for her.

He was too busy ignoring the way his core twisted to remember his question, anyway.


	18. Grey

**Content warning: Mentions of gore.**

* * *

Sasori did not believe in shades of grey. The world, to him, was very clearly black and white. Right and wrong. Yin and yang, if you will. True, what some may consider "right" may be "wrong" to someone else, but there was no point in muddling about in specifics of who-said-what or yes-buts or what-ifs. It was what it was, and that was that.

So when Akemi started arguing with him about the morality of what they were doing, it became very irritating very quickly.

The partners were silent as they stared each other down, eyes narrowed. Sasori had his hand tight on the back of the boy's neck, almost crushing it in his grip. The boy was still crying, though he was quiet now, too afraid to disturb the silence.

"He saw us," Sasori says, his voice cool and emotionless. "We have to."

"He won't remember us," Akemi argued. "It's unnecessary. I won't let you."

"Brat, we don't have time for-"

"Then don't argue with me!" she says, taking a step towards him. "I can take care of this, Danna, you know I can. You don't need to do this. It's wrong. He's a child."

"A child who will grow to be a ninja and come after us," the redhead growls. An explosion nearby made the three stumble, Sasori cussing quietly. "I'm not arguing anymore." He grabs a kunai from the holster on his thigh, brings it up, and lands a blow, blood spattering across his face.

Akemi hisses as her hand drips. In the few seconds that Sasori had moved, she had rushed forward, grabbed the boy, and moved her hand in his place. The knife was poking through the other side, but she'd manage. With a shove towards the door, the boy ran off, not to be seen again.

Sasori's eyes narrowed further towards his partner before they heard shouting. "I'll deal with you later," he hisses, wrenching the knife from her hand as he heads for the window. He can hear Akemi follow him with a small noise of pain. It wouldn't be his fault if she bled out. When you worry about the grey, it's your own undoing.

* * *

So I definitely meant to write this like four hours ago. But then I decided to re-read all of Yu+Me: Dream instead. (If you haven't read it, check it out! It's a really wonderful comic about lesbians and dreams and it's just really great okay okay go read it.)

-Jack


	19. Paprika

Even now that they were no longer partners, it wasn't uncommon for Sasori and Deidara to argue about art. It would be impossible for the two to see eye to eye on things on a good day, much less when they _really_ got into it.

Take right now for instance.

"Are you kidding me, un?" Deidara says, practically shouting by now. "How can you call that crap art! It's stiff and lifeless, it's boring, it's replaceable!" The blond crosses his arms over his chest, narrowing his one visible eye at his former partner. "Art, _true_ art, is only a moment captured in time, un! Here for one second, forever imprinted on the memory of anyone who sees it!"

Even from her position on the couch, Akemi can see the tense way that Sasori moved, betraying his irritation. "Listen, Brat," he says, his voice dangerously low. "You're wrong. Art is something that can be seen by anyone at any time, because it will always be there. Great art is always old, isn't it? Anything you'd find in a museum or show is meant to be kept for forever, like these," he says, motioning to his puppets. "You can't deny that. If you try to argue, clearly you've gone soft in the head."

The two glare at each other for a moment more before Deidara suddenly turns to Akemi. "What do you think, un?" Honeyed eyes turn to meet hers and the two men glare her down.

Akemi takes a few minutes to think (and find her voice; despite knowing them for some time now, those glares were awful scary...). "Well," she starts carefully. "I think art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder." The two start to argue but Akemi holds a hand up to cut them off. "I mean. Who's to say that you aren't both right? Danna," she says, turning towards the redhead, "one of those 'great art pieces' you mentioned? Off the top of my head, I can think of quite a few that are about explosions and fireworks. And Deidara, what's wrong with wanting to take a picture of something like that so you can better remember it?"

The two are quiet, each muttering something that Akemi couldn't hear. Satisfied that she had at least stopped the arguing, the white haired girl wandered off before they could start up again.

* * *

It wasn't until later that Sasori found her again, in the kitchen of the house they were in, cooking up a storm. "I still think you're wrong," he says, leaning against one wall.

Akemi shrugs. "That's fine. You're welcome to your own opinion. I just really wanted the two of you to shut up."

"Figures," he says with a snort. He pauses, then steps forward, curiosity getting the better of him. "What're you making?"

"Dunno," she answers. "It's an experiment." The pierced girl gives him a little grin as she reaches into a cabinet and adds a few more spices. "Go sit, I can't concentrate with you hovering over me."

He does as he's told and the two converse as she cooks, her eyes mostly focused on the food, even while keeping up a conversation with him. It wasn't until after she had left with her bowl that he noticed what she had done. On the counter where she had prepped was a little portrait of him. Out of spices, of all things. Carefully poured dry mustard and paprika and ginger root and others he couldn't name, shaped into his face. Even in the small time she had, Sasori couldn't deny that it was quite good.

He also couldn't deny her point about art being different to each person. Though he'd never admit that to her.

* * *

My original word for this was "fortitude" more like fuck that noise.

-Jack


	20. War

War was a terrible thing.

No matter who's side you were on, how many people you lost, who won, war was horrible. Akemi hated it. Hated it from the moment it was suggested. Of course it was inevitable; with what the organization wanted to do and how attached some villages had become to their jinchūriki-especially Konohagakure, they were practically obsessive over their Nine Tails-that there was no way around it.

Akemi did not want to. She had practically disassociated herself from the Akatsuki already. Sasori was dead, Konan and Nagato following not long after, and she held no loyalties to this Madara. No matter what admiration Nagato had held for the man, Akemi had never liked him. Even less so now. He was trying to force her to join. She knew just how useful she could be in this war, but she didn't want to, had no desire to.

"We can bring him back."

The woman stilled, her hands on her pack. "You lie," she says, her voice dripping with ice.

"You know me better that." She can hear the smirk in his voice, still hidden behind his mask. "Yakushi Kabuto has joined forces with us. He knows the secrets that will let us bring them back."

The hint of more makes her finally turn to face him. "I don't believe you," she says, her voice steady. Her gaze pierced where his own would be. The staring contest continues for a few moments before she breaks it.

"Show me."

* * *

When she arrived, the battle had already started. Akemi could feel the adrenaline coursing through her, a combination of nerves and battle-preparedness. Blue eyes were trained forward as she sped through the trees, trying to find the rest of her group. Stay focused, remember the plan. Get to the leaders. Make them break.

She wasn't supposed to find the Surprise Attack and Diversion Platoon.

It was an accident. She hadn't been looking for them. Hell, she didn't _want_ to find them. She knew exactly what seeing him would do to her head. What she hadn't expected was how... different he looked. Even beyond the blackness to his eyes, he looked downright human. His puppet body had always had just a hint of stiffness, of hardness to it. But now he wasn't, he was real, truly real, and it made her _ache_.

Akemi stopped. She had to. All she could focus was on him. She couldn't remember how long it had been, but it felt like no time had passed and they were just heading off to their next mission. The missing normalcy hurt. She didn't speak to him; didn't have to. Even when she hid her chakra, she knew he felt her there. A difference in the way he held himself, how he acted. As if a small weight was off his shoulders just for an enormous one to be added on. Their eyes never met, but she was watching him the entire time.

There was nothing she could have done. Interfering with their plan, even if she did know exactly what it was, could be fatal to everyone involved. She thought that she saw his eyes briefly flick to hers right before the wooden coffin surrounded him, but she couldn't be sure. Akemi watched the swords move. Watched them pierce through. She wasn't worried, because it wouldn't kill him. She had made this Kabuto explain everything to her before she agreed to help. She couldn't say she expected Kankuro's rousing speech to do what it did, but when looking back, she wasn't entirely surprised.

She was still for several moments after that, staring at the puppet that once held him, then at the one that once _was_ him. Then she turns and heads back in the direction she was supposed to be travelling, meeting with who she needed to get the job done.

War was a terrible thing.

* * *

I had to read so much shit to do this chapter. I'm still only caught up to the Chunin exams. God.

Sasori's smile kills me.

Would anyone object if i wrote some AU chapters? There are a couple themes that really only work in a non-ninja-based universe, so. Gimme your thoughts. (And reviews. They make me smile.)

-Jack


	21. Mother

It wasn't often that members of the Akatsuki got days off, much less an entire week. Even if they were still spending it in Ame, it was still a well needed (and well deserved) break that the two were thankful for.

Akemi acted differently than when she was on missions, Sasori noted. It was expected, of course. When they were on missions, they had to act very carefully, say all the right things, play the roles they were given. But here they had no need for the masks they so often wore. He liked to believe that this is what she was really like, even if it wasn't what he was used to.

The kids, dear lord, the _children_. It seemed like there wasn't a moment when Akemi wasn't talking or playing or simply being with one of them. She held no favorites, as any good person should. She made sure to distribute herself equally amongst the orphans of the village, or as much as she could, anyway. Given what had happened there, there were rather a lot of them. And yet she still knew all their names, knew what they liked and didn't. It was impressive to watch, actually.

Each wound, from a scraped knee to a broken arm, got taken care of to the best of her abilities. If she couldn't take care of it, she made sure they got to a proper medic, even if she had to pay for it out of her pocket. She would kiss them, hug them, hold them when they cried. She tucked them in at night and read them stories. She buried the ones that didn't make it.

All of this, Sasori observes in silence, as he does everything. It's during one of the few times they had a moment to themselves when he finally spoke on it. "You would make a good mother," is all he says. The shadow that crosses her face speaks volumes.

He never questions her stops for the children again.


	22. Distasteful

It's not like Sasori tries to dwell on it. He knows that it does nothing for his psyche, much less his view on the situation.

But he can't get that _fucking_ image out of his head.

He doesn't speak on it, at least not for a few days. No, he dwelled. Like he was still twelve. (Granted, he did have the body of a fifteen year old, but still.) What a fucking idiot he was.

So he keeps his mouth shut. Moreso than usual. Sasori keeps his thoughts to himself and all but ignores Akemi. She's fine with it, takes it in stride, even. Until it compromises the mission. He doesn't pay attention and almost gets them both killed. If it weren't for Akemi's quick thinking, they'd have both been in hot water.

It's that night when she finally confronts him. "What the hell was that?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're not yourself. It's not like you to just not pay attention like that. Normally you're the one berating _me_ for that."

He's silent for a minute, keeping his eyes on her. "Why were you with him?" he asks.

"What?" She frowns. "With who?"

"You know who."

Akemi thinks for a moment before realization dawns over her face. "Deidara?" she asks, blinking at him. His silence speaks volumes. "Why do you care?" she asks defensively.

"Why him?" he repeats.

The woman gives an irritated sigh, finally averting her gaze. "I dunno, he's the most available?" she says, rubbing at her neck. "Ninety percent of the people in this organization are either homicidal, uninterested, or emotionally unavailable." She ends her sentence with a pointed stare at him. "I'm allowed to sleep with anyone I want to, Danna. You don't seem to complain when I have to do it for a mission. Why do you suddenly care when it's what I want?"

"Because you said you wanted me!" he interjects. They're silent before he speaks again. "Last month you said you loved me. And then I find you sleeping with the first guy you get your hands on."

"So what if I do?" she says, her eyes narrowing. "Sex is fun. It feels good. I enjoy it, and I enjoy it even more when there's another person involved, even if there aren't feelings. We're both aware that we aren't interested in each other, but we wanted to. Why shouldn't we?"

Sasori makes an irritated noise, trying to walk past her. She catches his arm, making him whirl around to face her. "Look," she says lowly. "I'm still interested in you. But you're not exactly a choice for me right now." She meets his eyes, conveying her seriousness. "I wanted to do it, so I did. If you don't want to, then you better fucking do something about it. Other wise, keep your nose in your own damn business."

With that, she lets go of his arm and heads to her room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

I felt "Under" needed some explaining. I'm really tired of the whole "you should only have sex with people you're interested in". That's very much a valid choice, but I'm tired of it being the _only_ valid choice, especially for girls. Sex is fun. It should be thought of like that. That's my opinion, anyway.

-Jack


	23. Want

Akemi hated feeling like this. "Needy" was not a word in the kunoichi's vocabulary, or at least not one she was comfortable using. At least now she had someone who she could get advice from (or at the very least complain to).

The white haired woman walked quietly through the sanctuary. She was almost tempted to call it a lair, but that gave it a sort of ominous vibe that she wasn't entirely comfortable with. Murder and kidnapping she was fine with, but the thought that they were actually evil? Too sketchy for her. Finding the room she was looking for, Akemi knocked three times, saying softly, "Nee-sama? Can I come in?"

There's a moment of silence, then she hears the door unlock. Akemi breathes a sigh of relief as she walks in, shutting the door behind her. "Isn't it too late for this?" Konan says, running a hand through her hair. It was unusual to see the older woman like this-hair down, makeup off, piercings out-but the younger didn't mention. She beckons Akemi to the couple chairs she had by the window; one of the requirements Konan had enforced in finding a place for them was that she needed to have a window.

"It's been a while since we've talked like this," the blue haired woman comments. She curls up in the armchair, drawing her knees to her chest as Akemi takes a seat across from her.

"Well, it's been a while since we've both been here." There's some hesitation as she gathers her thoughts, Konan watching her quietly. "It really sucks wanting someone you can't have."

Konan gives her a knowing look. "I'm aware," she says flatly. Akemi resists the urge to cringe; okay, maybe that wasn't the best way to start things off. She thinks for a moment before starting again.

"Sasori is frustrating."

"I'm aware of that as well," Konan says. "I've worked with him for almost as long as I've known you, Akemi."

"Don't have to make me sound so young," she grumbles.

"But you are young," the elder insists. "And that's not a bad thing. It just is what it is."

Akemi sighs, leaning her head back against the chair. "But I'm just so..."

"So what?"

"Frustrated." She frowns. "I've never wanted something so badly in my life. And it's not just a physical attraction, it's..."

"You love him," Konan says matter-of-factly.

"I dunno."

"You do. I've known you for the better part of a decade, Akemi. You love him."

Akemi's frown only deepened. "So what do I do?"

Konan shrugs. "Tell him."

* * *

Sorry if Konan is out of character. I haven't read her in a while. Hopefully it's not too bad.

I drew Akemi. jackstrider87 . deviantart art/ Akemi- Nakamura- 481434087  
Sorry for the lots of spaces but otherwise won't let me put it in at all. Also sorry that you can't copy paste it but them's the breaks.

-Jack


	24. Lurking

Akemi had changed Sasori, there was no doubt about that. He wouldn't even deny it to himself. He was still mostly the same; nihilistic, apathetic, all with an underlying tone of "grumpyness" as the woman put it. But he had changed, that was for sure.

He cared about her. He wouldn't go so far as to say he loved her, but he definitely cared for her, more than he had anyone before. It was a scary feeling. He wanted to make her happy, wanted to see her smile, because seeing those made him doubt himself in the best way possible. What if he was wrong about things? Certainly she seemed happy without the things he deemed necessary. Sasori wanted eternity; Akemi wanted the now. The opposing forces of their ideals would normally make the redhead scoff and mock, but not with her. With her, he simply allowed her to speak as she did.

Even so. There was always a thought, lingering at the back of his mind, locked away where he wouldn't have to deal, have to feel it's presence constantly taking him over as it wanted to.

Akemi would die.

True, he could help prevent it. And it wasn't like she was old and failing already. But with the life they led, death was imminent and quickly coming and there was nothing either of them could do about it and that fucking _terrified_ him. He didn't want her to die. He would idly entertain the thought of turning him into one of his puppets, just to keep her with him, but always brushed the thought away. She wouldn't want that and it wouldn't be the same for him.

Nothing would be the same for him after that.

After realizing this, he didn't notice the changes he made. The way he treated her, the way he acted around her, every interaction they had was different. Each touch was held a little longer. He spoke more kindly to her. He treated her easier. Made sure she knew how he felt, even if he didn't say it in as many words. Sasori's focus found it's way to her form more often, whether it was just idly watching her, or listening to her breathe, or focusing on her during battle to make sure she didn't make any mistakes.

He knew it wouldn't last. But may the gods damn him if he didn't try.

* * *

Writes fanfiction instead of going to bed. Tomorrow is a scary day. Design meetings. Aaahhhhh.

-Jack


	25. Europe

"What about New York?" Akemi says, scrolling idly through travel sites on her laptop. Her fiancé sat on the couch behind her, grading papers boredly.

"Mmm, no," he says, marking another few points off. "Too many people."

The white haired woman frowns. "Sasori, anywhere we go is gonna have too many people."

"Exactly the reason this whole honeymoon thing is a terrible idea."

"But whyyyyy," Akemi whines, spinning in her chair to face him. "Just because you're a boring old man doesn't mean I should have to miss out on any fun."

The redhead snorts. "Don't forget that you're _marrying_ this boring old man."

"Hey, I never said it was always a bad thing." She moves out of her chair and then next to him, quietly laying down so her head rested against his thigh. Sasori idly moved his hand to thread it through her hair, keeping his focus on the essays in front of him. "What about, like, Italy?"

"Why Italy?"

She shrugs. "Why not? We could do the whole European tour thing."

"Do you even speak anything other than Japanese?" he asks, still refusing to look at her.

"I don't see your point," she replies with pursed lips. At his continued silence, Akemi makes a frustrated noise and shifts upwards to force him to look at her. "Think about it. All the cool art we could see. _Ecstasy of St. Theresa_, _David_, Bernini, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Da Vinci..."

"Now you're just naming Ninja Turtles."

She scoffs, hitting his shoulder. "You know I have a point. Think about it."

Sasori stares at the papers for a few moments, then gives an aggravated sigh. "Damn brat," he mumbles, finally wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her neck. "We can't afford to go to Italy," he says in a last-ditch effort to argue.

"Honestly we can't really afford any of this wedding," she says, conveying the cat that got the cream. "But that didn't stop us. What's just a little more to pay for a fun honeymoon? Fly to Italy, foot it across the continent, fly back. Wouldn't be that bad..."

"You're too damn needy."

"You love me." She smiles and kisses him soundly. Even as he gives an aggravated noise, he kisses her back.

He pulls back, pressing their foreheads together with an amused smile. "Fine. European adventure it is."

* * *

AUs. Hooray.  
For the record, _Ectasy of St. Theresa_ and _David_ are italicized not for emphasis, but because they're titles of art pieces. (If you haven't seen _Ectasy_ or any of Bernini's pieces and you're a fan of art, please for the love of god Google them. They're fucking amazing.)

-Jack


	26. Foreign

The redhead stood before the great marble piece, hazel eyes unblinking. He was not a religious man by any means, but the sight of this thing of beauty made his breath catch in his throat.

Maybe he should pick up sculpting again.

"Leaves you kinda speechless, don't it?" Akemi says by his side. Sasori simply nods, his hand finding it's way to hers to hold it loosely. The _Pietà_ was one of Michelangelo's most famous pieces, showing the lamentation of Christ. The way that the marble moved, flowing from hand to foot to hair to clothing, conveying the looseness of the body of Jesus and the tension and anguish drawing Mary's body tight. It was beautiful, the work of a true master, something that would last until the world ended.

To be truthful, Sasori was a little jealous. But for now he was content to simply look and absorb at the wonders that this foreigner had created.

Of course, one could only stare at marble for so long. Even Sasori eventually got his fill, gently leading Akemi to the door of the church. The two of them certainly stood out in the crowd; colored hair and pale skin standing out starkly from the mostly dark hair and olive skin tones of the people flocking around them, they attracted a bit of attention. But most eyes only caught for a second before going back to what they were doing. At least it'd be easy to find each other if they got lost in the crowds.

But Sasori didn't let that happen. He kept a tight hold of his gi- wife's hand (gods, that would take some getting used to), keeping her close by his side as they walked through the streets of Italy. They didn't speak the language, and they could hardly make sense of the little translation book they had, but still.

Maybe this honeymoon wasn't such a bad idea after all.

* * *

Direct continuation of the last one. (Well. Mostly direct.)

These keep getting short and I don't know why. I try to make them all around 500 words at least and this one (excluding this AN) is 322. What the heckie.

Oh well.

-Jack


	27. Sorrow

It was a well known fact by this point that Sasori was not as emotionless as he first appeared to be. True, he didn't feel them as strongly as others may nor did he feel them quite as often, but he still did feel them. Joy, pain, comfort, sorrow.

He felt sorrow a lot, actually.

More often than not, it was tied to his regret. The redhead never regretted leaving his home. There was nothing left for him there, why should he stay? And far be it from him to regret murdering the Kazekage. The man was rotten anyway and Sasori had wanted his iron sand. Truth be told, there was little that he _did_ regret. But when he did, he felt it greatly, weighing heavily on his heart (or what was left of it, anyway).

He sometimes regretted changing his body. Akemi would come around and brush her fingers along him and he wouldn't even realize until he saw her pale skin against his clothing. The few times when she would kiss him, Sasori's movements were methodical and mechanical, and he knew it hurt her just as much as it hurt him. She never minded, though, or at least she acted like she didn't, but he wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or hers.

He regretted his involvement in the Akatsuki. He had no moral qualms with what they did, regardless of whom they did it to- though he did believe in the greater good, he was doing it more for his own benefit than anything else- but he did often wish that he hadn't gotten himself into it so he could better care for Akemi. Sasori always took those times to remind himself that without the organization he wouldn't have even met her, and yet. It was dangerous for the both of them and getting involved with each other only made things worse; now they had baggage. Now they had ties. Now they had ways to hurt each other deeper than they had thought before.

He regretted letting her slip.

In his defense, Deidara's birds had never given the best footing and a body's automatic response is to save itself. He had caught her the first time, but the next too-sharp turn that the bomber had taken them on jostled Sasori just enough that her wrist slipped from his grasp and she fell, so far, too far for her to live. There were no screams. There was no time. Without even thinking, Sasori had launched himself off of the bird after her, diving down through the air and praying to whatever gods were left that his weight was more than her own. He almost subconsciously shot the metal cable in his stomach upwards back towards the bird (thank fuck he had changed bodies that day), his focus steady and strong on her slowly widening form. Akemi's arms were stretched out towards him, her mouth moving in a wordless string of thoughts, and he only barely caught her before they hit the water. The position was awkward with the cable between them, but when he pulled her tight into his arms, he practically bruised her with the effort.

That sorrow would have been too much for him to bear.

* * *

Sorry for the delay y'all. School has been kicking my ass.

-Jack


	28. Urban

Ame was probably the largest city Sasori had ever been in. Bigger than Suna, even. The city sprawled outwards towards the other villages, blurring the borders between them. It was more industrial, as well. The redhead didn't think there was a plant in the place- not that there was in Suna, but that had the advantage of being a desert. The area around Ame was fertile, or at least enough that they could plant _some_ crops. Not many could hold up under the heavy rainstorms that covered the area, but the ninja there managed. Sasori had no idea how, but they did.

It unnerved him, this overflow of metal and grime and smog. When he had first thought about travelling there, he had been intrigued; after all, what lasts longer than pollution and unbreakable metal? It was truly a masterpiece, for sure. But the aesthetic was all wrong. Hard edges and blunt plates, faceless, featureless, imposing. Simply approaching made his skin crawl, metaphorically speaking. The puppeteer strove to finish each mission there as quickly as possible.

And the people, good _gods_, don't get him started on the people. And his teammates called _him _aloof. If you weren't being pickpocketed, you were getting shouted at for _breathing _at the wrong time. It was a nightmare, honestly. Sasori didn't know how Akemi could stand it.

But she did. Gods, she did.

It always astounded Sasori just how much Akemi brightened when they returned to her home. Maybe it was just the fact that she could call it home- the others were outcast from their villages, and they couldn't very well call any of their bases "home". In fact, the missing nin would go so far as to say none of them had a home, not anymore. Except for the three rain nin. This had always been their home, and always would be, you could see it when they arrived. (Or at least when he arrived with Akemi. Sasori rarely dealt with Leader and Konan, but he didn't really mind that.)

The woman fucking glowed. Not that she was normally sour, but the things that would normally upset her, she didn't mind. Not there. Not when Sasori took apart his body for cleaning, not when they got woken up stupidly early, not when he denied her advances, all of it she simply shrugged off.

Seeing her like that was the one reason he kept coming back.

* * *

Wow. Sorry for the delay. School happened. Dunno when I'll be back. Love y'all.

-Jack


End file.
